Out with the old, in with the new. New recycling bins, that is.

The city of Blue Earth is changing which company will be picking up the recycling in the city, and it is causing some confusion among local residents.

Last week Waste Management, the current recycling hauler for residential areas of the city, dumped the containers for the last time.

Right after they picked up the contents of each bin in the usual fashion, another truck came along and picked up the bins themselves.

But, not all of them.

“We have gotten some calls at City Hall from folks who got their bins out late or who did not put them out at all,” Blue Earth city administrator Tim Ibisch says. “We have taken down the addresses of those citizens and we will contact Waste Management to let them know there are still bins for them to pick up.”

Ibisch says there are quite a few bins still out there, including some that are alongside non-occupied or abandoned houses. They will be added to the list.

“I am sure Waste Management wants to get back as many of their bins as possible,” Ibisch says. “So we will attempt to create a list of where they all are.”

Other bins which were not picked up by Waste Management were for commercial businesses in the city. Ibisch says those are a separate matter altogether.

“The city does not have a contract with Waste Management for commercial recycling pickup, that is up to each business to take care of,” Ibisch explains. “Each business can choose who to have haul their recycles. So they can keep the Waste Management bins if they chose to stay with them.”

Now for the next step.

Crews from B&B Sanitation of Winnebago were expected to deliver new recycling bins to all residents of the city on Thursday and Friday of this past week.

The days of the week recycling will be picked up is also changing.

Instead of every other Monday and Tuesday, B&B will be picking up recycling on the first and third Thursdays and Fridays of each month.

“They will pick up recycling on the south side of town on the first and third Thursdays, and on the north side of town on those Fridays,” Ibisch says. “The city will be sending out a notice of this to all residents with their next utility bill.”

If that is not enough information to confuse residents, here is one more piece to the puzzle.

Garbage pickup is not changing, unless residents decide on their own to switch companies.

“The city does not contract the garbage hauling, it is up to the individual residents,” Ibisch says. “If you use the yellow Waste Management bags, you can continue to do so. If you use some other company, such as B&B or Hometown Sanitation, you can continue that service as well. You are free to continue with whoever you want, for garbage.”

Ibisch says anyone with any kind of questions should certainly call the Blue Earth City Hall at (507) 526-7336.